Federal and State Legislation Controlling Education

Common Core isn’t wrong because of the values it teaches. Common Core is wrong because it is an unconstitutional, federal usurpation of power. In fact, it’s not even directly from the federal government, but a private initiative from the Gates Foundation used by the federal government to coerce states. It is the very same “gun to the head” of the states that Chief Justice Roberts referred to in National Federation Of Independent Business v. Sebelius (Obamacare) with regard to the medicaid expansion coercion. Regardless, conservatives, libertarians, and moderates are all too in favor of such usurpation when it aligns with our values. This is not only wrong, it is extremely dangerous.

The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 has been updated from SB 1094 (ESEA) to SB1177 (ESSA – Every Student Success Act), which passed December, 2015.

Notes from Charlotte Iserbyt below, regarding the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools:

Now, if you are interested in Ms. Rees, here is some history related to her long-time involvement in charter schools.

3D, from The Deliberate Dumbing Down on America, pages 427-429: NINA SHIKRAII REES OF THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION, WASHINGTON, D.C., WROTE AN Article entitled “Time to Overhaul the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965” which recommended a major shift in the traditional philosophy of education from an emphasis on inputs to an emphasis on outputs. An abstract of her article which was published in a Heritage Foundation Press Release dated December 2, 1998, follows: During the reauthorization process of the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act, the 106th Congress has a historic opportunity to change the course of K–12 education. Congress needs to shift the goals of the ESEA from one confined to inputs to one focused on achievement. Congress can make this happen by sending more federal dollars to the classroom instead of to education bureaucracies; empower parents, teachers and principals; boosting the quality of teachers; and allowing flexibility and demanding accountability. Sending money to the same old federal education programs will waste precious education tax dollars and allow American students to fall even further behind their counterparts in the developed world.

[Ed. Note: If what Ms. Rees recommends is authorized by the 106th Congress, the courseof K–12 education will be more than changed. It will be eliminated, to be replaced by K–12school-to-work training, required by NAFTA and GATT, both of which are supported by Ms.Rees’s employer, the Heritage Foundation. As sensible as the above recommendations mayappear at first sight, as one moves carefully through the text one can identify key words whichThe Noxious Nineties : c. 1998 428 should raise red flags for those opposed to the philosophy behind Goals 2000 and the School-to-Work Opportunities Act.

When Ms. Rees says “Congress needs to shift the goals of the ESEA from one confinedto inputs to one focused on achievement” she really means she supports outcome-based education,since the word “achievement” as she has used it means “outcome.” She then goes onto recommend all the “nasties” associated with Marc Tucker’s National Center on Educationand the Economy which are also associated with all recent restructuring legislation, as well aswith outcome-based education: “empowering of parents, teachers, and principals”; “sendingmore federal dollars to the classroom”; “boosting the quality of teachers”; “allowing flexibility”;and “demanding accountability.”

Of special interest here is her recommendation to boost the “quality of teachers.” Thereader is urged to turn to the 1992 entry regarding Filling the Gaps for the new millenniumdefinition of “quality of teachers.”

Note also how this report uses the word “achievement.” This is the alternative to focusingon “inputs”—the legal requirement of most state constitutions with regard to their responsibilityto the public to “offer,” “make available” or “furnish” educational opportunity to all citizens.Most of our state constitutions—unless they have changed in the last few years—do not requirethe state to be responsible for each student’s success, because the state cannot ensure what isa personal responsibility. States are responsible for the provision of everything necessary fora child or student to have the opportunity to achieve academic success—“inputs.” (This hastraditionally been known as the Carnegie Unit requirement.) It is when the state becomes theguarantor of success—Ms. Rees’s “achievement”—that parents have felt the stifling hand ofthe state in the area of privacy and personal freedom.

Sending more “dollars to the classroom” may sound like returning to local control, butis in fact the reverse since it bypasses not only state legislators—who presumably representtheir constituents at the state level—but also local school boards who traditionally have madedecisions at the central office building level—not at the school building level—on how theirconstituents’ tax money could best be spent.

Much damage has been done over the years under the guise of “accountability.” Exactlyto whom does the Heritage Foundation want the schools to be accountable? Parents and taxpayerswho have had no say whatsoever in restructuring plans, or the international businesscommunity which initiated and supports the recommendations spelled out in most of HeritageFoundation’s reports, including its call for the use of Skinnerian Direct Instruction (DISTAR) aspresently implemented in Houston, Texas at Thaddeus Lott’s Model Wesley Elementary School,and which is on a roll across the nation since the passage of the Reading Excellence Act?]

As 2015 comes to an end, my team and I wanted to thank you for your support of the National Alliance and share with you a few of our accomplishments. Whether you are running a school, supporting charter schools financially, or lending your voice to one of our charter school advocacy campaigns, you are the reason our movement is thriving!

Next year is a big year for the charter school movement – the 25th anniversary of the passage of America’s first charter school law. We look forward to celebrating our success as a movement and working with you to advocate for better charter school policy, equal funding, the freedom to innovate, and the resources to continue growing with quality. Together, we will keep working to put a high-quality public education within reach of every student in America.

Thank you for your dedication and friendship. And Happy New Year!

With gratitude,

Nina ReesCEO and President

Dramatic increase in funding to support charter schools

With President Obama’s signature on the omnibus appropriations bill, the federal Charter Schools Program (CSP) will see an $80 million increase in funding. That’s a 32 percent increase over last year, and a record level of funding for the CSP!

The overwhelming bipartisan support for the CSP will allow high-quality charter schools to open, expand, and replicate across America. Many more students will leave the wait lists behind and finally get their opportunity to attend a great public school.

Congress passes the Every Student Succeeds Act

After years of debate, Congress passed the Every Student Succeeds Act, reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act for the first time since 2002. In doing so, bipartisan majorities reaffirmed their support for charter public schools. Congress adopted more than 80 percent of our recommendations to strengthen the CSP and improved the policy environment for charter schools throughout the nation, including the creation of a guaranteed stream of funding for the replication and expansion of high-quality charter schools.

Alabama becomes the 43rd state to pass a charter law

The National Alliance led a coalition to pass a strong charter school law in Alabama, which became the 43rd state to allow charter public schools. We also worked with local coalitions in several states to improve their laws. Oklahoma strengthened its accountability framework and will now allow charter schools throughout the state. Wisconsin expanded independent charter schools, removed its remaining caps on charter school growth, and strengthened authorizer and accountability provisions. Indiana approved a major new investment that will reduce the funding equity gap between charter school and non-charter school students.

Washington State suffers a setback, but our movement responds strongly

We were disheartened when the Washington State Supreme Court ruled that the charter school law voters approved in a 2012 referendum is unconstitutional. However, we spared no time in responding. We worked closely with our partners on the ground to launch a campaign under the #SaveWACharterSchools banner to garner public support for the schools and families hurt by the ruling. We are now working with state partners and a bipartisan group of legislators to find a solution that will allow Washington’s charter schools to continue serving the 1,200 students whose lives they are already changing for the better.